Background of the invention involves well known latch constructions for forks, and is directed to improvement in the structure of latches desirably provided for fork lift truck forks and includes a fork as before described, with the latch of special construction, to replace or in substitution for the latches known in the art, which themselves may be generally described as of the bolt latch type, wherein a bolt member is movable upwardly and downwardly and usually spring pressed to be maintained in notch engaging position to position and retain the fork of the truck in transversely located relationship.
Sometimes these bolts are provided with cam arrangements to raise and lower the same and other types of latches may be involved all usually being spring controlled so that they will engage with notches as the fork is positioned with relation thereto.
The instant invention is directed to an improved form of latch structure wherein the head of the fork is specially formed with a recess the recess providing for mounting of the fork on the truck and of such a form as to accept the novel latch member which is of resilient material and includes a detent form thereon, the detent being controllable exteriorly of the fork head even though the detent is beneath and enclosed in the recess by which the fork is supported on the truck.